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Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
Sigmund and The Sea Monsters was Sid and Marty Krofft's fourth television show, as well as their first to survive longer than one season; twenty-nine episodes aired on Saturday mornings from 1973 to 1975. The show was co-created by Si Rose. Plot The Ooze family (a family of talking seaweed monsters) had had it with the youngest son, Sigmund; unlike the rest of his family, Sigmund had no desire to spend his life scaring people along the beach, so the family kicks him out. With that, Sigmund goes wondering off on his own, and bumps into two young surfers Johnny and Scott, who quickly befriend Sigmund, and decide to take him home with them; to keep from anyone finding him, including the Ooze family, as well as Johnny and Scott's caregiver Zelda, they hide the young seamonster in their "hideout", a nautical-themed clubhouse they built in their backyard, whichis off-limits to any adults. Sigmund and The Sea Monsters was significantly different from previous Krofft shows; instead of setting the plot in one unusual world, this series had two parallel worlds - one was the human world, which was relatively realistic, taking place in the Stuart household, where Johnny and Scott lived with their caregiver Zelda; the other was the seamonster world where the Ooze family lived inside their beachcave home known as Dead Man's Point. The Ooze family consisted of Big Daddy, the grouchy patriarch who was constantly annoyed with his family; Sweet Mama, the somewhat ditzy matriarch; and the bumbling, idiotic twin brothers Slurp and Blurp. The Ooze family also had a pet lobster named Prince, who Sweet Mama considered her precious baby, but he only liked Sigmund. Occasionally, something would happen back home at Dead Man's Point with consequences, that would result in the Ooze family trying to lure Sigmund back home; like if a relative would visit, and wonder where their favorite nephew/grandson/cousin/etc was. Usually, Big Daddy and Sweet Mama would send Slurp and Blurp out to retrieve Sigmund, but Johnny and Scott would scramble to keep the two at bay, and protect Sigmund from his crazy, unloving family; while at the same time, they also worked like the devil to keep Zelda, or other adults like her love interest Sheriff Chuck Bevans from discovering Sigmund themselves. Cast * Johnny Whitaker - Johnny Stuart * Mary Wickes - Zelda * Scott Kolden - Scott Stuart * Billy Barty - Sigmund Ooze * Joe Giamalva - Big Daddy Ooze (Season One) * Sharon Baird - Big Daddy Ooze (Season Two) * Paul Gale - Slurp Ooze * Larry Larsen - Blurp Ooze * Van Snowden - Sweet Mama Ooze * Joe Higgins - Sheriff Chuck Bevans * Steve Franken - * Rip Taylor - Sheldon the Sea Genie Voice cast * Walker Edmiston - Sigmund Ooze, Big Daddy Ooze, Slurp Ooze, Blurp Ooze * Sidney Miller - Sweet Mama Ooze Episodes Sigmund and The Seamonsters was produced for twenty-nine episodes for NBC's Saturday morning lineup; Season One consisted of seventeen episodes which broadcasted during the 1973-1974 TV season, while Season Two consisted of twelve episodes for the 1974-1975 TV season. Production Notes Sid Krofft's daily routine including running nine miles on the beach everyday, and one fateful day, while he was running on the beach, he found a clump of seaweed that had washed up from the ocean; in awe over this clump of seaweed, he could see a character being derived from this, so the idea for the show began to be fleshed out as he, Marty, and Si Rose began to develop the series. While Sid and Marty worked on the premise of the show, Si Rose developed the characters; using the groundbreaking sitcom All In the Family as a model, Rose fashioned the Ooze family after the Bunker family (Big Daddy being a counterpart to Archie, while Sweet Mama was the Edith of the Ooze family). * The first Krofft show that lasted longer than one season; with two seasons and twenty-nine episodes, Sigmund and The Seamonsters was one of the Kroffts' longest-running shows. Season One has been released on a DVD set, but Season Two has yet to be so. * This show also marks the first project involving another promiment Krofft puppeteer, Larry Larsen, best known for playing The Dorse from [[The Lost Saucer]]. * This show also relied on a slue of special guest stars during various episodes, including the late Jack Wild of [[H.R. Pufnstuf]] fame. Category:Television shows